Shipping-box structure



March 27, 1928.,

K. I. MILLER SHIPPING BOX STRUCTURE 2\ Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 16- 1926 March 27, 1928.

K.- l. MILLER SHIPPING B'ox STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 16. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Z TI 7-7! H- IIIIIIIIII! H'- 7/,

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Ill. III-"il- Patented Mar. 27,1928;

UNITED STATE xnmnx I. MILLER, or

. .-'1,664,308 PATENT OFFICE.

nancnsrnn, ms'sounr. I

SHIPPING-BOX STRUCTURE.

Application filed December 16, 1926. Serial No. 155,177;

This invention pertains'to' the manufacture of shipping boxes, such as are ordinarily made of strawboard or the like. As now made these boxes are usually stamped out in the form of blanks, with the side, end and crushing efi'ect-of piling them in tiers in a I car, In boxes as now made and in the smaller sizes, the item pf ventilation is partially cared for in the stamping out of the blanks,

- by cutting out air vents or ports in those portions of the blank which are intended to form the top, and certain of the sides of the completed box, that is to say, those two opposite sides which are to remain of a single thickness of material when the box is completed. In these smaller blanks air ports are notcut in the other two sides'for the reason that they would be covered up anyway by. the double folds of overlapping material upon those sides when the ibox is set up. In thelarger sized boxes, however, 'ports are generally out upon all four sidesof the blank. Ventilation ports, however, should be provided through all four sides of all sized boxes, the small ones as well as the large. Not only this, but cooperating means should be provided to keep the boxes slightly spaced apart when piled in tiers in a car, so that the air may find a way between them and into the boxes, where the contents of the boxes require air or ventilation. Provision should be made so that the matter of thorough" ventilation is automatically taken care of, no matter how the boxes are piled together. v

conventionally, the item of reinforcing and strengthening these strawboard shipping boxes is taken care of by securing wooden slats across the top of the box; but these slats require considerable time to at tach and also add considerable to the weight of the box.

The general objects of my invention, therefore, are to' provide a method of making an objections to conventional forms of boxes;

and to provide the improved box itself as a new article of manufacture.

More specifically, the object is to point out a method of making, and to provide a strawboard shipping box having integrally formed ribs or bosses whichshall serve both to strengthen the box and to hold the improved strawboard box of the character described and which shall overcome the'said boxes spaced apart. when piled in tiers so that air may pass between, themfor ventilating the contents of the boxes, and to provide cooperatingair ventsat all sides of the box.

In the drawing, which represents a relatively small sized box, 1

Figure 1 is a plan view of a strawboard blank, stamped and cut as required for making up the body of my box; the portions intended for formin the sides and strengthening ribs being indlcated in solid lines; .and

the proposed ventilation apertures through the double folds of material at two opposite sides, as well as the conventional ventilation apertures through the other two sides, being also indicated in solid lines;

' Figure 2 is a section upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1; C

Figure 3 is a detail of a strip of reinforc irlllg tape intended for pasting along and over t e ribs;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the body portion of the completed box, a section of one of'the overlapping corner folds being cut away to show the arrangement of the elements;

Figure 5' is a vertical section taken through the body portion of a completed box gaps oropenings of the strengthening and lid, showing the tape represented in Fi re 3.21s pasted over the gaps of the rein orci'ng ribs; sections being cut out of the section through the, body portion A and the lid portion B. In carrying out this invention and for cordance with t e present invention includes I the sheet 1, para lel with the edges of the 7 sheet and spaced sufliciently from the edges to provide and demark a bottom portion 4,

side portions 5 and 5 and corner portions v 12. At the same time the conventional corner incisions8 are made between-the side portions 5 and the corner or end portions 12 at opposite sides of the sheet 1 and along the outer ends of the grooves 6, thereby enabling the turning up of the side portions 5 and 5 and the turning 'back of the free corner portions 12. As shown in the struc- 2 time as represented in the accompanyin drawing, the ribs or bosses 2 are forme across and'are confined to the bottom portion 4: of the sheet 1 and thetwo' opposite side portions 5fthereof, andthesei ribs are all adapted to protrude'inwardly of the completed box. Onthe other hand, the rlbs 3 are formed across and confined to the other two and opposite side portions 5 and the corner end portions 12, and extend parallel 85 to the ribs 2; and the ribs 3 are all adapted to protrude outwardly of the completed box.

The purpose of this arrangement of the ribs will presently appear. 5

Ventilation apertures 10 and 11 are pierced through the side portions 5 of the blank 1 and through the free corner ends 12 formed b the incisions 8, and at opposite sides of tlie incisions 8, the. two sets of apertures being equal in number and arranged in such registering relation that when the side por tions 5-5' are bent up at the grooves 6, and .the free corner ends 12 formed by the incisions 8 are b ent or folded back 'upon the adjacent'side portions 5,-the twosets of apertures 10 and 11 will automatically register with one another to form continuous air vents or ports 1011 through the doubled corners 5-12 of the box body. As air vents 14 are conventionally provided for the other two sides 5' of the box, the box is thus equipped for ventilation through -all four sides thereof. Rectangular cut-outs 15 are 5' also made transversely through the ribs 2' i and 3 at pomts registering with the grooves 0 6 to facilitate the-bending up of the sides 5-5 and the bending back of thecorne ends 12.

. In the preferred method of construction as herein contemplated, the several strengthenifig ribs 2 and 3, grooves6, incisions 8, aper' tures 10 and 11, and cut-outs 15 are all formed and cut at a single operation of the dies or other tools, although of course this is not absolutely essentia after which strips of reinforcing tape 16 are next pasted along 7 over the gaps 17 of the said ribs 2 and 3. I The side portions 5 and 5 are then turned. perpendicularly to the bottom portion 4, the said free ends 12 are folded back upon the adjacent side portions 5 to form the doubled 7 corners 512 with the apertures 10 and 11 in register, and the corner ends 12 are then stapled or Qtherwisefastened to the said side portions 5 as shown at 18, thus completing the body portion A of the box. 30 The lid portion B is constructed similarlyand somewhat wider so as to fit over the body portion A. It is not thought necessary to provide air vents into the box through the doubled corners of the lid, but this may beeasily done if desired, by likewise forming thesin 1e and doubled corner portions ofthe lid b ank with registering air vents in manner similar to the formation of the air vents of the body blank 1, and in addition stamping air ports or vents in the body blank 1 which Wlll register with the said vents of the lid, in the completed box, as shown at 19 in Figure 5. By using a perfo-' rated or web form of tape 16; asshown in the drawing, additional ventilation is afforded into the box through the open or spread corners 20. of the outwardly protruding ribs 3. v

Owing to the reversed direction of the ribs 2 and 3, there is no interference between them when the box is set up. The inwardly projecting ribs 2 also serve to additionally strengthen the box as a whole when set u This strengthening function of the r1 s 2 is especially apparent in respect of the upturned portions of the ribs 2 extended transversely of the side portions 5 of the completed box. as. clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. It Will be noted from an inspection 1 of the drawing that upon the side portions of the completed box, theinwardly turned-ribs 2 running in one direction are perpendicularlycrossed by the outwardly turned ribs 3 running in an op osite direction. has 118 much. as these over apped portions of the box are fastened toget er, the result is a very stron structure. It is alsoapparent that in or er to form the ribs 2 at all, the same must be extended clear'across the blank 1, as otherwise the blank would be torn. The portions of the ribs 2 extending across the bottom portion of the completed box, like"- wise serve as strengthening elements for. the box as a whole. Boxes constructed in accordance with' the method here pointed out are su-fliclently strong for the purposes required and described, are light in weight, are provided wlth air or ventilation ports at all four sides. of the box, and the outwardly portions and connecte protruding ribs 3 cooperate to prevent the amming of the boxes closely together when piled in tiers, so as to exclude air entering through the air ports at the contacting sides of the boxes. In other words, no matter how the boxes are piled or faced, they are held spacedapart, and provision is made for ventilation at all sides.

While I have herein described a certain procedure and order of steps, in the stated method of making the said box, and have described the said box itself as being constructed in a particular way, it is understood that I mayvary the said'method and procedure of construction, and may aconstruct the box itself with minor changes and variations, not departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

.I claim: 1

1. A strawboard box blank having integrally formed strengthening bosses protruding at one side across the bottom portion and two opposite connected side portions, and having similar bosses protruding at the opposite side of the blank across the two remaining opposite connected side portions and connected corner portions, all of the said bosses running parallel with one another.

2. A strawboard box blank having integrally formed strengthening bosses protruding at one side across the bottom portion and two opposite connected side portions, and having similar and parallel bosses protruding at the opposite side of the blank across the two remaining 0 posite connected side corner portions, 'all of the said bosses running parallel and means for reinforcing the said bosses against crushing'under pressure. I M

3. As an article'of manufacture, a rectangular sheet of flexible material adapted for forming a box, the same having integrally formed strengthening ribs upon those portionsintended for two opposite sides and ;connected corner portions of the box, the said ribs being extended parallel to the lines demarking the said side portions from the bottom portion of the box, and being intended to protrude outwardly of the completed box,

box and so that the ribs for the'two $211 and reinforcing tape secured over the gaps of the saidrlbs. a

4. As an article of manufacture, a rectangular. sheet of flexible material/adapted for forming a box, the same having integrally formed strengthening'ribs upon those.

bottom portion, and being adapted to pro trnde outwardly of the-completed box.

5. As an article of manufacture, a reotangular sheet of flexible material adapted for forming abox, the same having integrally formed strengthening ribs upon those portions of the sheet intended to serve for the bottom and two of the oppositesides of the completed box, the said ribs all running parallel from end to end of the sheet and being adapted to protrude inwardly of the,

opposite side portions of the completed box will stand perpendicular to the ribs of-the bottom portion when the box is set up; the said sheet having alsosimilar ribs upon those portions intended to serve for the two remainingand oppositeside portions and the connected and foldable corner portions of the completed box, these said. ribs running also parallel with the first mentioned set of ribs and being adapted to protrude outwardly of the completed box, with the ribs of the corner 7 portions extending athwart the ribs of the said side portions.

6. A strawboardbox having integral, inwardly protruding ribs across the bottom and two of the opposite sides, the planes of .the said ribs being all parallel and perpendicular to the bottom of the box; and integral, outwardly protruding ribs upon the two remaining opposite sides and the connected overlapping corner portions, the

planes of the latter ribs being all parallel Iwith each other and with the-bottom of the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

. KINNEY I. MILLER. 

